<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD><META content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" http-equiv=Content-Type></HEAD>
<BODY style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 10pt" id=role_body bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 rightMargin=7 topMargin=7><FONT id=role_document color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial>
<DIV>
<DIV id=article-header sizset="155" sizcache="1">
<H1 id=article-headline><EM><FONT size=2>from WalesOnline - You gotta love the
Welsh - Laurie <FONT color=#ff0000>Davies</FONT> Adams</FONT></EM></H1>
<H1>Welsh Government makes a beeline for action plan to help pollinators</H1>
<DIV id=article-meta sizset="155" sizcache="1">
<UL sizset="155" sizcache="1">
<LI class=article-meta-author>by Sally Williams, Western Mail </LI>
<LI class=article-meta-date sizset="155" sizcache="1"><A class=i-date title="Find all articles published on Jul 23 2012 to the Wales News section" href="http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2012/07/23/">Jul 23
2012</A> </LI></UL></DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=clear sizset="156" sizcache="1"></DIV>
<DIV class=clear></DIV>
<DIV class="span-47 colborder" sizset="163" sizcache="1">
<DIV class="span-47 last" sizset="163" sizcache="1">
<DIV class="article main" sizset="163" sizcache="1">
<DIV id=three-col sizset="163" sizcache="1">
<P>THE Welsh Government is to produce an action plan in a bid to stop the
30-year-long decline of honey bees.</P><RESPOND_BUTTON id=1 title="Welsh Government makes a beeline for action plan to help pollinators" adUnit="4" buttonType="2"></RESPOND_BUTTON>
<P>Environment Minister John Griffiths will visit the Welsh Bee Keepers’
Association stand at the Royal Welsh Show today and announce his intention to
develop a Pollinator Action Plan for Wales.</P>
<P>He will say the plan is part of the Welsh Government’s efforts to halt the
decline in populations of honey bees, managed bees and hoverflies – all of which
have been in severe decline for the last 30 years.</P>
<P>Populations of honey bees in Wales and the UK have been savaged by a
bee-killing mite which is threatening a global catastrophe. The varroa mite not
only sucks the “blood” of billions of honey bees world wide, it is also
spreading diseases that are causing colonies to collapse one after another.</P>
<DIV class=article sizset="163" sizcache="1">
<DIV class="mpu-ad mpu2" sizset="163" sizcache="1"><!-- Rubicon Project Tag --><!-- Site: AMRA UK/Mirror UK - Private Marketplace Zone: All top placments - AMRA UK PMP Size: Medium Rectangle --><!-- Rubicon Project Tag --><!-- Site: AMRA UK Zone: All top placements Size: Medium Rectangle -->
<STYLE type=text/css> div#p360-hybrid300x250TriadBlackPurple-E77B82AC-25A2-11E0-BE45-5B1B405BF877 * { padding: 0; margin: 0; } div#p360-hybrid300x250TriadBlackPurple-E77B82AC-25A2-11E0-BE45-5B1B405BF877 { width: 300px; left: 0; font-family: sans-serif; position: relative; display: inline-block; float: none; color: #000; max-height: 250px; text-align: left; padding: 0; max-width: 300px; line-height: normal; letter-spacing: normal; height: 250px; font-size: medium; white-space: normal; top: 0; margin: 0; word-spacing: normal; } div#p360-hybrid300x250TriadBlackPurple-E77B82AC-25A2-11E0-BE45-5B1B405BF877 .p360-ad-image { width: 102px; text-align: left; float: left; height: 77px; margin-right: 5px; } div#p360-hybrid300x250TriadBlackPurple-E77B82AC-25A2-11E0-BE45-5B1B405BF877 #p360-format-header { cursor: pointer; margin-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: none; padding-left: 0.25em; clear: both; height: 22px; padding-right: 0.25em; } div#p360-hybrid300x250TriadBlackPurple-E77B82AC-25A2-11E0-BE45-5B1B405BF877 .p360-ad-title { padding-top: 5px; } div#p360-hybrid300x250TriadBlackPurple-E77B82AC-25A2-11E0-BE45-5B1B405BF877 a:hover .p360-ad { background: url(http://static.pulse360.com/images/hybridmocks/300x250_mock28_triad_white-xmas-highlightBG.png) no-repeat top left; } div#p360-hybrid300x250TriadBlackPurple-E77B82AC-25A2-11E0-BE45-5B1B405BF877 span { display: block; } div#p360-hybrid300x250TriadBlackPurple-E77B82AC-25A2-11E0-BE45-5B1B405BF877 .p360-copy-ad-title { color: #000; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial,Geneva,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-size: 13px; } div#p360-hybrid300x250TriadBlackPurple-E77B82AC-25A2-11E0-BE45-5B1B405BF877 #p360-format-box a:hover .p360-copy-ad-title { text-decoration: underline; } div#p360-hybrid300x250TriadBlackPurple-E77B82AC-25A2-11E0-BE45-5B1B405BF877 .p360-copy-ad-link { text-decoration: underline; font-family: Arial,Geneva,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-size: 11px; } div#p360-hybrid300x250TriadBlackPurple-E77B82AC-25A2-11E0-BE45-5B1B405BF877 .p360-ad-horizontal { float: left; cursor: pointer; display: inline; } div#p360-hybrid300x250TriadBlackPurple-E77B82AC-25A2-11E0-BE45-5B1B405BF877 a:hover .p360-copy-ad-image { border: 1px solid #609; } div#p360-hybrid300x250TriadBlackPurple-E77B82AC-25A2-11E0-BE45-5B1B405BF877 #p360-copy-format-refer { color: #000000; } div#p360-hybrid300x250TriadBlackPurple-E77B82AC-25A2-11E0-BE45-5B1B405BF877 #p360-format-box a { color: inherit !important; text-decoration: none; } div#p360-hybrid300x250TriadBlackPurple-E77B82AC-25A2-11E0-BE45-5B1B405BF877 .p360-ad-title-desc { display: none; } div#p360-hybrid300x250TriadBlackPurple-E77B82AC-25A2-11E0-BE45-5B1B405BF877 .p360-copy-ad-image { width: 100px; cursor: pointer !important; margin-top: 2px; height: 75px; display: inline; border: 1px solid #999; } div#p360-hybrid300x250TriadBlackPurple-E77B82AC-25A2-11E0-BE45-5B1B405BF877 #p360-copy-format-title { width: 12px; padding: 0; position: relative !important; font-family: Arial,Geneva,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-weight: bold; height: 75px; display: block; font-size: 12px; float: right; color: transparent; top: 2px !important; margin: 0; background-image: url(http://static.pulse360.com/autotag/overlays/advertisement-grey-vertical.png); font-style: normal; } div#p360-hybrid300x250TriadBlackPurple-E77B82AC-25A2-11E0-BE45-5B1B405BF877 #p360-format-box #p360-copy-format-title a { color: transparent !important; } div#p360-hybrid300x250TriadBlackPurple-E77B82AC-25A2-11E0-BE45-5B1B405BF877 .p360-background-break { background-color: #D3D3D3; } div#p360-hybrid300x250TriadBlackPurple-E77B82AC-25A2-11E0-BE45-5B1B405BF877 #p360-format-footer { width: 15px; left: 281px; cursor: pointer; padding: 0; clear: both; position: absolute; height: 83px; bottom: 0; display: block; border-top: none; right: 0; padding-left: 0.25em; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0; padding-right: 0.25em; } div#p360-hybrid300x250TriadBlackPurple-E77B82AC-25A2-11E0-BE45-5B1B405BF877 #p360-ad-list { padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 5px; } div#p360-hybrid300x250TriadBlackPurple-E77B82AC-25A2-11E0-BE45-5B1B405BF877 #p360-format-box { width: 300px; left: 0; position: absolute; clear: both; background-color: transparent; overflow: hidden; max-height: 250px; padding: 0; background: url(http://static.pulse360.com/images/hybridmocks/300x250_mock28_triad_greyBG.png) no-repeat top left transparent; max-width: 300px; height: 250px; border: 0 none #A9A9A9; top: 0; border-radius: 0; margin: 0; border-color: #A9A9A9; } div#p360-hybrid300x250TriadBlackPurple-E77B82AC-25A2-11E0-BE45-5B1B405BF877 .p360-ad { width: auto; padding: 0 18px 0 0.3em; cursor: pointer; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Sans-Serif; height: 81px; margin-left: 3px; overflow: hidden; } div#p360-hybrid300x250TriadBlackPurple-E77B82AC-25A2-11E0-BE45-5B1B405BF877 .p360-copy-ad-desc { color: #666; font-family: Arial,Geneva,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-size: 10px; } div#p360-hybrid300x250TriadBlackPurple-E77B82AC-25A2-11E0-BE45-5B1B405BF877 .p360-line-break { border-bottom: 1px solid #000; } div#p360-hybrid300x250TriadBlackPurple-E77B82AC-25A2-11E0-BE45-5B1B405BF877 .p360-horizontal-separator { margin-bottom: 0; overflow: hidden; height: 0; display: none; } div#p360-hybrid300x250TriadBlackPurple-E77B82AC-25A2-11E0-BE45-5B1B405BF877 a:hover .p360-copy-ad-title { color: #609; }</STYLE>
Mr Griffiths said: “We know that 20% of the UK cropped area is made up of
pollinator dependent crops; a high portion of wild flowering plants depend on
insect pollination for reproduction and the value of pollinators to the UK
Government is conservatively estimated to be £430m per annum. This makes
pollination a vitally important eco system service.</DIV></DIV>
<P>“However despite their importance, pollinator populations have been on the
decline for the last 30 years and we know that if we don’t take prompt action,
this trend will continue. That is why I am considering how we might slow and
reverse the decline in pollinator numbers. Wales will be leading the way.”</P>
<P>He said the action plan will be developed in partnership with key agencies
and is likely to include changes to the planning system that will help make
development “pollinator friendly”; more pollinator-friendly planting across
railway embankments and road verges; joint working with local authorities on the
management of parks and other public green spaces; encouraging nurseries to sell
pollinator-friendly plants and provide advice to consumers; building an evidence
base on the impact of pesticides through joint working with the National Botanic
Garden of Wales; and close working with the Welsh Bee Keepers’ Association and
other voluntary groups.</P>
<P>He said the work will be undertaken in line with the principles set out in
the Welsh Government’s Sustaining a Living Wales programme and will take a whole
ecosystem approach.</P>
<P>Friends of the Earth Cymru campaigner Bleddyn Lake said: “We’re delighted the
minister has acted so quickly to help protect bees and other pollinators, which
are in steep decline throughout the UK.</P>
<P>“Thousands of people have already backed our campaign, The Bee Cause, which
calls for action on habitat loss and pesticide-use. Farmers, councils and
communities need help and advice to protect these essential pollinators – one
third of our food wouldn’t be available at all without them.”</P><RESPOND_BUTTON id=1 title="Welsh Government makes a beeline for action plan to help pollinators" adUnit="4" buttonType="2"></RESPOND_BUTTON>
<DIV style="DISPLAY: none" id=outbrain_manager_helper_div></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV><BR><BR>Read More
<A style="COLOR: #003399" href="http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2012/07/23/welsh-government-makes-a-beeline-for-action-plan-to-help-pollinators-91466-31450871/#ixzz21YD3L9py">http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2012/07/23/welsh-government-makes-a-beeline-for-action-plan-to-help-pollinators-91466-31450871/#ixzz21YD3L9py</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT lang=0 size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10">Laurie Davies
Adams<BR>Executive Director<BR>Pollinator Partnership<BR>4</FONT><FONT lang=0 color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10">23 Washington St.
5th Fl.<BR>San Francisco, CA 94111<BR>T: 415.362.1137<BR>F: 415.362.0176<BR><IMG SRC="cid:X.MA1.1343140794@aol.com" border=0 width=319 height=173 DATASIZE="27063" ID="MA1.1343140794" ></FONT><FONT lang=0 color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"><BR>Follow up on <A href="http://twitter.com/#!/Pollinators">Twitter</A> and <A href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Pollinator-Partnership/48680445464">Facebook</A>!</FONT></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>